Consumers Flock to Weekend Shopping Boycott(Target Boycott and Lowe's sells "Holiday" Trees)

American Family Association ^ | November 22, 2005 | Jody Brown and Allie Martin

[avant_garde]

AgapePress) - An official with a pro-family group reports that a boycott campaign aimed at Target Stores nationwide has succeeded in attracting hundreds of thousands of consumers who say they intend to shop elsewhere during what is traditionally the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

On Friday (Nov. 18) the American Family Association (AFA) launched on online boycott campaign against Target, citing the retailer's decision to ban Salvation Army kettles from their store entrances as well as the use of "Merry Christmas" in their in-store promotions and retail advertising. By the following Monday, almost 300,000 individuals had "signed" an online petition indicating they planned to express their disapproval of that decision by avoiding Target Stores during the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend. At press time, that number had jumped to more than 340,000

[antaresequity]

perfect

I love the dating too....AD

Screw them, their shareholders and the unions in bed with them..

No more...I am not taking it any longer....

Target can Kilo Mike Alpha and Golf Foxtrot Uniform

[Pajamajan]

"Lowes was selling Holiday trees."

Actually, it's an "Icon Tree". You decorate it with multi-colored condoms. (Like the previous occupants of the white house did.) - the ultimate PC tree..

Argggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh........this just irritates the living heck out of me. It's SO stupid.

I'm wondering if these idiots had businesses in Israel-If they would ban "Happy Hanukkah", or any reference to Hanukkah, and still expect shoppers to go to their stores? I have no problem with "Merry Christmas" , "Happy Hanukkah" and "Happy Holidays" being used together.

The fact is, the majority of people in our country celebrate Christmas. For a merchant to deliberately ban "Merry Christmas" is just small-minded and mean. I am fed up with this pettiness.

It's up to the majority of us Christians to send these idiots a message- That we are not going to stand for their implication that Christianity is not allowed to be mentioned in public- That's what they are saying to me, when the ban "Merry Christmas".

[bulldozer]

Shouldn't there also be a boycott at Sears because they have used something even worse than calling a Christmas tree a holiday tree. Sears is using the name "wishing tree".
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1525226/posts

[GVnana]

This is so sad. The Salvation Army is one of the best charities out there.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Instead, one should be boycotting "made in China" crap.

How closely do you look at the labels of the stuff you buy at Target? (serious question - I'd really like to know.)

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Great letter. Love it!

[Pajamajan]

Since Lowes and other retailers are selling "Holiday Trees"

I will be buying a "Christmas Tree", from a merchant who sells "Christmas Trees", NOT "Holiday Trees".

I will be buying my "Christmas" gifts from merchants who have Salvation Army bell ringing Santas, and black kettles, in front of their stores.

[JoeSixPack1]

This is so sad. The Salvation Army is one of the best charities out there.

Fear not! I contacted them today to donate some furniture. Their trucks were booked through January for pickup! :-)

[SweetCaroline]

....Target sells China crap, take a look at what you buy!!!

[Ronaldus Magnus]

I am going to continue shopping at Target.

It's your right as someone who is "absolutely secular" to shop at a store catering to the secular.

HA!!! Thanks patriciaruth, I needed a laugh! Who would ever have thought that an atheist of all people would ignore the boycott of a retailer for anti-Christian bias? It was probably the whining of many "absolutely secular" people like the original poster that caused Target to bar the Salvation Army and rename their "holiday trees" in the first place. Most people of would have had the decency to post a disclaimer before making such a self-serving statement, but I appreciate you pointing it out since that obviously wasn't the case here.

[GSlob]

'How closely do you look at the labels of the stuff you buy at Target? (serious question - I'd really like to know.)"
Pretty closely. Obviously, food items there are not made in China, basic clothing in Target is available from places like Honduras, and is easy to check. And more involved items I normally pick from stores other than Target [say, Burlington Coats] - and I check the labels there as well.

[Seniram US]

Thanks to you and the others who seemed to agree with the letter to Target, which my pen calls Tagged (for their obvious Anti-Christmas Tag.

My pen sometimes has a sense of humor of its own, so I let it out once in a while. I have tried to discipline it to no avail. But I can't convince my wife that is is my pen, not me.

Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.

[Grani]

It's a secret, but instead of paying ransom with spare change to get into the store, all you have to do is write a check to the Salvation Army and mail it, like I do.

[FreedomCalls]

That's one of the most ridiculous idiotic PC policy that a corporation could make.

The United States Capitol "Holiday Tree" home page.

http://www.aoc.gov/cc/grounds/hol_trees/2004tree.cfm

[GSlob]

"....Target sells China crap, take a look at what you buy!!!"
Thank you for the reminder, but I always do look first. Food there is domestic, and basic things like, say, slacks or shirts are available from places like Honduras or India.

[Richard Kimball]

Well, not to call you incorrect or anything, but boycotts work, and the AFA has been very successful in previous boycotts. Eisner's out at Disney, and Disney is about to release Chronicles of Narnia. They had intended to secularize it, but instead approached the same company that handled the Passion of the Christ, and contacted several Christian organizations to serve as focus groups.

Merry Christmas.

[Rainmist]

At my store I'm already listening to the dude in the phone center remind our Home Depot customers that we have fresh-cut Christmas trees straight from North Carolina in our outside garden center ..... all shift long ..... coming next are the Christmas loop tapes that force me to listen to 10 different versions of every Christmas song ever made for eight hours a day, five days a week - for the next four or five weeks .... gaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

[Casloy]

I don't doubt that boycotts work, but they have to have some truth behind them and be something people feel very passionate about. I doubt the lack of a Salvation Army bucket in front of Target is going to be an issue with 99% of shoppers. Eisner is out at Disney because they made some bad movies that no one went to see, and not because of any boycotts.

[Casloy]

What does celebrating "diversity" of "sexual orientation" mean to you?

Then you best watch out, because the Federal government does the exact same thing. They are doing what over 95% of all American corporations are doing and whether we like it or not it it seems idiotic to single out Target from all other retailers. Also, the implication of the boycott is that Target is contributing money to groups that promote homosexuality and doing so as their main charitable effort. If Target bends to the Christian boycott they are then faced with a gay boycott, and at the end of the day, it is about the bottom line. Why can't we just let retailers do what they do, which is provide us with a good product at a reasonable price? If a sign saying Happy Holidays offends you, then go somewhere else, but an official boycott detracts the Conservative movement from the really important issues and makes us look trivial.

[loboinok]

"I'm having a section for Christmas tennis shoes and another section for Yule power tools."

I don't know if they would make good Christmas presents but might be fine for Deliveryday gifts!